Book: With or Without You by Domenica RutaGenre: Memoir
Rating:★★★★☆
For: Review
From: NetGalley
I almost didn't it make it to this book! But I managed to stick it in and that's been a good thing. Wow, what a ride.
The thing is, here's yet again another book that's about the author's crazy childhood and early adulthood. And once again it makes me realize how very sheltered my life has been! To think people are dealing with these problems in real life, every day, every where! It makes me sad for them, and yet happy that I've been so lucky.
The author, very beautifully, writes about her life, being raised by this mom who is mostly concerned about where she's getting her next hit. I think this mom cares about her daughter deep down, and she isn't necessarily abusive in the way we normally think, and yet, she does not take care of her. She encourages her to do really stupid awful things, and the situations she is put in at such a young young age make me cringe.
When the author (called Niki in the the book) gets to be old enough to make her own decisions, guess what she chooses? Not to go the other way and be clean and sober and functional, but to follow her mom's path and be high and drunk constantly. So sad.
But, this is also the story of how she pulls out of that and look where she is today!
Be warned, this book is quite brutal and gritty. Yet as I said, beautiful at the same time. I loved the writing. I loved the lessons learned and the stories told. I love the feeling of power that comes across when someone has gone through such pain and yet has come out of it on top.
Bottom line: Thoroughly enjoyed it, grit and all.
Other Reviews:
There's nothing like a memoir by a gal with a messed up childhood to make you feel better about the way you were raised. From The Relentless Reader
Shockingly honest and honestly shocking, this is an astonishing memoir. From Reviews by Sammi
Ruta can write, as I hope the quotations I’ve chosen show, and I would have no hesitation at picking up another book by her. From The Writes of Women
I have this one and had every intention of getting to it, but uh, it's been CAH-RAY-ZIE. Glad to hear it's good!
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